Folakemi Odedina, Ph.D., a pharmacotherapy and translational research professor in the UF College of Pharmacy, has been appointed to two research groups within two different organizations in December: The American Cancer Society and the Nigeria National University Commission.
American Cancer Society’s National Prostate Cancer Disparities Advisory Team
The American Cancer Society has appointed Odedina to the newly developed National Prostate Cancer Disparities Advisory Team.
With more than 20 years of research and community outreach focused on prostate health disparities in Black communities globally, Odedina is a natural fit on the team, which specifically focuses on prostate cancer disparities among Black men.
“As a member of the National Prostate Cancer Disparities Advisory Team, I hope that we will be able to foster novel and high impact scientific discoveries that will reduce prostate cancer disparities in Black men,” Odedina said.
The advisory team comprises multidisciplinary experts and thought leaders in the field of prostate cancer and cancer disparities. Members of this group will have the opportunity to help design and shape the community grants program and serve on the peer review panel for grant applications.
Nigeria National Universities Commission
As part of her ongoing contributions to the Nigerian University System, Odedina will lead an initiative to bolster biomedical science research by bridging researchers in Nigeria with Nigerian academics living abroad. “We have outstanding colleagues with great expertise in Nigeria,” she said. “The collaboration among Nigerian academics and academics abroad is mutually beneficial for all and will effectively address health disparities globally.”
Odedina was appointed by the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria National Universities Commission to lead the Diaspora initiative because of her contributions to Nigeria academia since 2006. She has contributed significantly to the enhancement of biomedical research in Nigeria through collaborative research, collaborative grant writing, training workshops, research education, conferences and mentoring. Her responsibilities as part of the commission involve scaling up her current contributions through the Prostate Cancer Transatlantic Consortium, which she founded in 2005. She will also foster research collaboration among Nigerian academics and those living abroad. Working closely with Chinelo Nwosu at the Nigeria National Universities Commission, Odedina will implement multiple programs that include faculty exchange, research training, research collaboration, joint grant-writing and scientific disseminations, “adopt a lab,” resources exchange and much more.